


Maddie Hatter

by RedDeadInside



Category: Alice In Wonderland - Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland (Movies - Burton)
Genre: Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2018-05-03
Packaged: 2019-05-01 20:49:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14528898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedDeadInside/pseuds/RedDeadInside
Summary: "Always trust the White Rabbit..."That's what my Mother always told me. I thought it was just a saying, something we made up as we bonded over her stories.So you can imagine my surprise when 3 days after my 17th birthday I meet a White Rabbit who tells me to follow him if I want to help save my Mother...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own the characters (exept for my interepretation of Maddie) or the location Wonderland (I wish). This is the first thing I'm publishing on this website so I hope you like it and I hope I do the characters justice.  
> Also, does anyone know how to insert pictures? I want to add photoshop cover art I did for the story.

Hi my name is Maddie (short for Madaline) Kingsleigh. Here's a bit of info on me:

I live with my mum, never met my dad. It's her last name that I've got. Oh, and my mum's first name is Alice. I have unruly red hair that I must have gotten from my dad because my mum has beautiful red hair. I am 17 years old and mum is 34, she had me at a young age. We live in this gorgeous little cottage that was built for her by this man that she gets upset over whenever someone asks who made the house. Honestly, I think that she really liked, maybe even loved this man. But why she gets so sad I don't know, maybe he died. I hope not. I don't like death. Anyway, I've been home-schooled all my life but I'm really quite smart. But it's a good deal that I never went to an actual school because I'm weird, nobody likes me that much, it's probably because I do weird stuff all the time. I think it's cool! I can do this funny little dance that for some reason makes my mum proud and sad about something but I don't have a clue what I did wrong.

I should probably tell you this, but I can do other weird stuff. It mystifies my mum and me. We don't know why I can do it but we won’t go to the doctors because we're scared they'll take me away for being a freak. I think that's why mum is hiding us. She told me that we're not hiding from anybody because that would be silly but I know the truth. I see how she always comes home from shopping breathless because she ran home. I see the way she's always agitated and constantly jumpy around people when we go out. I see all the signs of being scared, my mum is hiding. But from who, I don't know. Maybe mum did something wrong before she got pregnant with me, which could be one reason why she's like this. I don't care if she's a criminal or not because she's my mum, I love her.

We have a good life even though she's hiding us. I get out, I don't have friends but I don't need them to go out do I? Anyway, we're happy. I don't go out often though because it makes mum paranoid most of the time I only go out with her to keep her pleased. I didn't mind as much when I was little. My head was filled with stories that mum would read to me, it still is the only difference is that I read the stories to myself now. My favourite story is one that isn't a book though, my mum made it up. It's about a girl called Alice (yes I know that's her name but she was a little girl when she made it up so obviously she used her own name. 'It just didn't feel right to change it' is what she said when I asked) that was at a party with her mother when she saw a white rabbit wearing a waistcoat. The little girl heard the rabbit say 'I'm late! I'm late! I'm very very late!' over and over again. Then the white rabbit ran off and so the little girl followed. They reached a hole and the rabbit jumped down. Curious, the little girl looked down the hole after it when she stumbled and fell in. The girl was transported to a crazy place filled with wonder, which she then called 'Wonderland'. Little Alice met a cat that had a very large smile, the white rabbit that she had followed, a little mouse that was rather defensive, a hare that seemed to be crazy, and a man with a rather big hat that also seemed to be a bit mad. They quickly became friends. Then little Alice met The Red Queen the next day. Alice was pretty and so this angered the queen. She made Alice into a slave, so the poor girl slaved away for a while until she managed to escape. 

Then a few years later, when Alice was 17 she saw the white rabbit again. However, Alice had forgotten her time in Wonderland. Well not forgotten but she thought it was all just a dream. So as she did before, she followed the rabbit again and yet again she fell down the hole that the rabbit went to. She re-met all of her friends from before but still couldn't remember them. Alice was still hated in The Red Queen's eyes but Alice fought against her. She got to know the mad hatted man more and somehow formed a crush on the brave man. They tricked The Red Queen and freed some prisoners with the help of the wide grinned cat. They then went to The White Queen who was the nicer twin of The Red Queen. She helped them all, and after a while Alice started to remember her previous time in Wonderland. There was then a fierce battle between the two queens and each queen had a 'chosen' warrior to fight for them. Of course there was an epic battle between all the queens' people. In the end The White Queens side won because Alice (The White Queen's 'chosen warrior') had slain the beast of a dragon that was The Red Queen's warrior.

I loved this one of my mother’s stories. I could imagine my mum being the Alice from this story; it seems realistic because my mum made it up. She has other Wonderland stories that go thought out all of Alice's adventures. I sometimes get her to tell me them again because I love the sound of wonder in her voice when she talks about them, I love the way her eyes mist as if in memory. It’s as if she actually did all the stuff that she tells me about.  
It was three weeks after I turned 17 when my mum came rushing I to my room. I was busy mending my trousers because they had ripped on a thorn from our rosebush. She came running in and said to follow her in a panted whisper, I followed and she led me to the little forest that was surrounding our cottage. We went into the forest and found a big oak tree that had a secret little door. I wondered why it was there but had no time to ask before my mum shoved me into the tree. It was then that I saw the panic and fear on her face, she was honestly scared. Then it clicked. She was hiding me in this tree because whatever she had hidden us from all these years had finally found us. I was about to pull her in with me when she shook her head. 'They don't know about you, only me. You've got to stay safe. This is the only thing I can do to make sure you stay safe, I know you will be worried and you won't know what to do but I'm asking you this; stay safe please and always trust the white rabbit.' I had heard the last line many times in her stories but I wasn't expecting it when she said it this time. But knowing there was nothing I could do I reluctantly agreed to my mother's request. She then closed the trees door and left me in the darkness. I was scared for my mother and myself but I kept to my promise and stayed put.

*****

Days passed and I was still in the cover of darkness. I was hungry and thirsty and tired, I was tired because I wouldn't let myself go to sleep for more than three hours at a time. I was scared that someone might find me and worried for my mother. I had a gut feeling that she wouldn't be the one to come and rescue me from this hole she had put me in. I knew she was still alive; she just wasn't coming for me. A part of me felt abandoned but I knew that this was not the case; she was protecting me by not coming for me, as crazy as it sounds, she really is. If she came for me then there might be a chance that someone follows her and finds us both. And if I were captured then they would have bait to lure my mother in. I couldn't let that happen so i waited patiently for whoever was coming to get me. Hopefully it was someone I could trust and rely on. It was about two and a half days since I had last seen mother when I heard a rustling coming from outside the tree. I was instantly alert and ready for nearly everything. Then the door creaked slowly open to reveal the person to be a white rabbit?  
What the hell? It was wearing a little shirt, tie and waistcoat just like in my mother's stories! It motioned to stay quiet and follow it, at first I was like 'hell no! I'm not following a weird little rabbit that wearing clothes!' but then my mother's request popped into my head; 'always trust the white rabbit' she had said. Was it possible that she had sent this strange little creature for me? It was, sorta. So I followed it out of curiosity feeling more and more like little Alice out of the stories. An idea occurred to me and I nearly stopped in my tracks. What if... The white rabbit carried on tugging me along while I was thinking to myself, I snapped back into reality when I heard a twig snap from behind me. I looked down at the rabbit hoping he'd have answers (I know, silly) his response was to stay quiet and carry on following him. I did so and did not get caught up in my thoughts again.

We stopped in front of another big tree that had a funny symbol on. It was rather large eye on it but there was a hat, the one's that you see old men wearing. And on the front of the hat there was a tea cup and a little girls head popping out of the tea cup. The image of the book my mother had wrote her stories in flashed through my mind, it had the same symbol on the front. My mother had said that she had carved it herself with the help of a very special man.

The rabbit tapped on the cup, whispered in the girl’s ear and pushed at the bottom of the hat with his ears, surprisingly the tree opened. It was just like how my mother had opened the door on the big tree apart from more... erm, magical. 'You must go in miss,' said the rabbit, it startled me hearing it talk. 'It is your mother's wish to keep you safe from harm and this is what we are doing. Please go through miss, you need to get to safety. Once you're safe we can start with the plan on how to save your mother.' I had no choice, I had to go. To save mum, I had to. She had said to stay safe because they don't know about me but perhaps that's best, that way I can help save her without them knowing, after all I don't look much like my mother.'

We went down below the tree's roots (you could tell because of the soil that was clinging to the walls) until we got to another little door. 'Miss, miss you must eat this. Not all of it because it may come in use to you again but please just take a bite.' And with that he passed me a little glass bottle with some kind of purple liquid inside that read 'drink me' on the label. I took the bottle warily before asking 'What's is it? What will it do to me?' I had a good idea already because of my mother's stories but I wanted to make sure before I drank out of something that could kill me or seriously harm me.

'It will do nothing harmful miss, you have my word.' Yeah, the word of a talking white rabbit that wore a shirt, tie and waistcoat. 'It will merely shrink you down to a size big enough to fit through this door.' He said with a gesture towards said door.  
'OK,' I said reluctantly. 'I'll take a sip. But only a little one, will that be enough?' The rabbit nodded. So I took a gulp of the shrinking potion from my mother's stories.


	2. Chapter 2

The only way I could tell I was shrinking because I saw the ground rushing up to meet me. Well, there was that and the fact that my already too-big t-shirt was getting even bigger and my trousers were becoming too loose to stay up. Oh, god. I was going to end up naked because my clothes didn't seem to want to shrink along with me. I was just about to complain when the rabbit threw something at my feet. Clutching the fabric of my t-shirt to me, I picked up the mystery object. A dress?

'After last time we didn't want to be unprepared for any surprise visits so we made this. It's the right size for your new form. So you wont have to go around erm, well, not dressed.' And with that he turned around so that I had some privacy to dress. It fit perfectly which was a surprise; none of my own clothes had ever fit me perfectly but this felt as if I had been wearing it for years. I was small, almost as small as the rabbit. He then grabbed my hand and carried on pulling me. He lead me straight to a door, reached for the handle and then stopped. He just froze, wouldn't move at all.

"Mr. Rabbit, erm, I don't mean to be rude but we need to hurry. They're coming! Mr. Rabbit!" I smacked him on the arm and he jumped a little.

"I'm terribly sorry, I've forgotten the key. I needed you to get it off of the table before I shrank you, I forgot. You can't get through the door without the key!" The white rabbit panicked, I had to snap him out of this, I already knew he was the white rabbit from my mother's stories and I remembered her telling me that he nearly always had some kind of food that made you grow. Maybe he still had some! If he did I could reach the key off of the table.

"Mr. Rabbit! Mr. Rabbit! Do you have any of that growth food you gave my mother? I could use it to be big again and get the key."

"Oh. Oh yes, yes. That is a very good idea Miss Alice, I mean, Miss Maddie. Yes, I should have some here somewhere..." And with that he started searching his pockets frantically. While he had his back turned I quickly took off my new dress and covered myself with my old clothes, I didn't want to stretch my new dress did I? God, why am I thinking of the dress at a time like this? The bad guys, whoever they are, are almost upon us, the rabbit is searching for something I'm not so sure he has, I'm three inches tall, the key we need to get through the door is too high up, and I have the nerve to be worried about a freaking dress! "Got it!" The rabbit exclaimed in joy, he passed a peice of what looked like a colourful mushroom and told me "don't eat too much, you'll grow too big and may bring the ceiling down on us." I nodded in response and took a small but out of the colourful mushroom. Stepping back I held my old clothes close to my chest as I felt myself begin to grow. It was slow, gradual, but it eventually got me to the height I needed to reach the key. I was only a bit smaller than I normally was but as I grabbed the key off of the table I felt myself getting closer to the ceiling. I should have stopped growing! What's going on? 

"It's not you Miss Maddie, its the ceiling the room! Someone is making it smaller! Hurry! Hurry! Drink this!" And he put the opened bottle of shrinking potion at my feet, I grabbed the bottle delicately between my thumb and forefinger before swallowing the contents. I put the key on the floor and held my top to me as I shrunk yet again. As soon as I was small enough I put the dress back on and looked up to see the white rabbit standing next to the now open door. "Quickly! Quickly! There isn't any time to loose! We must go now or we'll be squished! Come on! Come on!" I looked up and saw that he was right, the ceiling was getting nearer and nearer. I ran towards him and jumped through the door pulling him with me just as the ceiling crashed down on where we had been. "Well," he said. "Looks like the Red Queen has finally found a way to control the portal. Lucky for us, there are only a few people that can actually go through it, I am one of them, and so are you. The Red Queen however, cannot." He took a pocket watch out and made me jump when he squawked "we're late! Oh gosh, we're late, we need to hurry up and go now. Come on, come with me." 

The white rabbit lead me along a weathered old path that was surrounded by drooped flowers. The flowers had faces and I remembered my mother telling me about flowers with faces that always chattered and criticized her about the way she dressed, the way she walked, the way she talked. These drooping flowers were supposed to be full of life, what happened? I asked the white rabbit this and he replied with "they lost hope. They're not dead, they're just wilted and waiting. But once the Red Queen is gone for good they will be back to their original state, the whole of Underland will be reborn into a better place. All of the creatures will come back and there will be nothing to fear anymore, but first, we need to get rid of the bloody big head, and to do that we need a champion." He looked at me out of the corner of his eye before muttering something under his breath. The only words I managed to catch were "...can't... Alice... new champion... Maddie... Hatter would never forgive me... Hatter..." Then he looked up and said loudly "we need to find the Hatter and the Hare, if the base hasn't been found yet then they should still be there with the rest of the rebellion. Come on, this way." 

He led me to a clearing in the woods and oddly enough there was a long table and chairs all around it. The table was covered in broken bits of pot; teacups and saucers lay strewn about everywhere. This was another thing I remembered from mother's story; this is where the tea parties went on and where people would have such fun. I hoped that this place, like the flowers, would return to normal once this Red Queen was gone. The rabbit pulled me along until we were under the table, then he knocked on the floor twice. From a glance it just looked like every other bit of the floor but at a different angle I saw the same symbol that was on the tree. It must be an entrance to something, I thought. My suspicion was confirmed when a small hole appeared and a voice said "what's the password?" To which the white rabbit replied, "teapots will kill the bloody big head." The little hole closed and suddenly the floor just in front of us lowered and became some kind of stairway. The rabbit pulled me along by my hand and whispered, "don't be afraid Miss Maddie, we're the good guys."

Once in the hole we were greeted with a "Nivens! Who is that and what is she doing here?!" The white rabbit, who apparently called Nivens, replied "this is Madaline, Alice's daughter. I went to fetch her remember? After Alice sent a distress code saying 'protect my daughter, she's in the tree'." 

"This can't be Alice's daughter, she's much too small." This was said as a light was turned on and the owner of the voice turned out to be a small dormouse. Said dormouse didn't look very happy and had a larger than average needle made to look like a sword at her waist. I didn't feel very comfortable in her presence and so I stepped back and stayed into the darkness of the room.

"Mally, I gave her some shrinking potion so she would be able to fit through the door." The dormouse shook her head in disbelief.

"If she's Alice's daughter make her step forward and into the light so we can see her properly. Come on, what have you got to be afraid of? If you're Alice's daughter we'll know. If you're not we'll still know but we'll also kick you out." I mustered up all of my courage and stepped out into the light. There was one or two gasps and a grunted "okay, I believe you" from Mally. There were introductions; I met Mally (whose name was actually Mallymkun), I found out that the white rabbit's full name is actually Nivens McTwisp, Thackery Earwicket which is the name of the March Hare, Absolem whose riddles confuse me greatly, and Bayard the Bloodhound and his family.

"Did you see Hatter and Chess on your way back?" Mallymkun asked Nivens. "They left a couple of days after you for supplies and they aren't back yet." The white rabbit shook his head. 

"Give them till morning," he said. "If they're not back by then we'll go looking for them with Bayard. If we can't find them then we assume they have been taken prisoner by the Red Queen." I hoped that these two people I hadn't met yet were okay, they seemed important to this group of refugees. Looking over at the white rabbit I realized that he was hardly as he was described in my mother's stories. He was withered and wary, but strong and confident at the same time. He took charge and became a leader for people to rely on when they needed one. This poor rabbit had obviously seen some things in his life that have taken their toll on him. I wish I knew what was going on. 

"Nivens, can I talk to you please?" He looked over at me before leading me out into a different room. This room was only small but there was a small bed, an battered old armchair, and a large desk covered in the kind of things you'd see in a sewing box. There were two or three hats laying about the room as well as various scraps and rags of material strewn about. The rabbit lead me over to the chair and asked what was wrong. "I want to know what's going on. Why is Underland like this? Who is the Red Queen? How do you know my mother? Are her stories real? Did she really come here? Why was she hiding us? Where is she?" All these questions came rushing out before I could help it and it finally hit me. My mother is missing. Gone. What if I never see her again? Who's going to take care of me? I miss her, she's all I had and now she's been taken from me. I need to find her, but first I need to find out what's going on. "Nivens, I need you to tell me where she is. Why had she been taken? Where has she been taken?" 

"I'm sorry Maddie but I can only answer some of your questions. I know the answer to most but it is not my place to say. As for your mother, I knew her, we all knew her from some years ago. She was our champion, she saved the day and slayed the Jabberwocky. It's because of your mother that we were free of the Red Queen but unfortunately it didn't last. It was then that the Red Queen decided to strike. She took over Underland in a rage we had never seen before and killed some of our mightiest warriors with a dark magic. She had used her banishment to practice magic which is not meant to be used for dark purposes. We managed to get you and your mother to safety. This is why she was hiding you both. You must understand that your mother only had your well being at heart. Then the Red Queen sent some of her knights after your mother. Like I said before, there are only a few who can go through the portal, these knights were some that could. They were sent to find your mother but her warning system alerted her to their presence. She hid you, sent a note through to us and ran. But they caught her before we could help. So I got you per your mothers wishes and here we are. She however is in one of the most dangerous places there can be right now."

"Where is she?"

"In the Red Queen's castle."


	3. Chapter 3

"In the Red Queen's castle."

It was all I could think about. My mother, the one who raised me and kept me safe all of these years is in the most dangerous place in Underland. I sat down, it was all too much. "I'm sorry Maddie." The white rabbit said, "we want to get her back, but it'll take a while. We got to gather our forces and prepare to strike. But what's more, we need to find a way past the Red Queen's defenses. Her magic, it surrounds the castle and stops anyone from passing through without her permission. We have no magic, her sister, the White Queen did and she used it for good. She was our leader but she was the first to be captured." So there was no hope then. We had no magic, there weren't enough of us to storm the castle and the dark magical force field would give a small rescue group. A sob racked through me. "Again, I'm sorry. Here is just enough of the growth cake you make you your normal size again. The dress should grow with you. You can sleep in here for now. I will wake you in the morning." And with that he left. 

I ate the cake and grew back to the size I was normally but then I had to make a plan. I had to rescue her. I needed to find a way to get through the magical barrier. But for now, I need to sleep. I was exhausted, the days events came bearing down on and now I was wiped. I'll just go for a nap...

****

I was woken sometime during the night by a loud clattering noise. I heard grunts and groans and a "get off Chess!" I cracked the door open (Nivens must have closed on his way out) and saw Mallymkun and Thackery helping a large purple and blue cat off of a man. I presumed it was a man, I had heard the voice and saw his legs up to the knee. There was a hat like the one in the symbol near to me and as soon as I saw it I knew who the other man was. It was the Hatter, it was him and the Cheshire Cat. They were back! I came out of the doorway quietly and bent down to pick up the hat. It was a battered old thing, rapped up and sewn together with various different cloths, but anyone who looked at it could easily see that it was a beautiful hat. For a brief second I wondered what it would look like on top of my head but I quickly shook that image out of my head. It wasn't mine, I was a guest here, I couldn't go around stealing other people's belongings. So I stood waiting to be noticed.

"Hatter! You're back!" Mallymkun cried out. "Chess! You sly dog, you made it. We were wondering where you were." And with that she threw herself at them for a hug. I felt a bit like I was intruding on a private moment and was about to leave when the man, who still hadn't stood up and come out of the shadows, laughed. It was then that Nivens came out of his room to see all the racket was.   
"Tarrent, good to see you back friend. We were worried that you and Chess had been taken prisoner by the Bloody Big Head. What took you so long?" 

The Hatter stayed where he was sat and replied "we almost did, some knights caught sight of us on our way to the forrest. We ran to avoid them and Chess typically just disappeared but I had to climb a tree which was rather hard to do because there were no lower branches to grab hold of. We had to stay up there for about half a day but all was well in the end. We're back." Nivens nodded in understanding. "I'm glad to see you held the fort while I was away, did you...?" The Hatter started to get to his feet as he was speaking but the light was too dim to see much of him from this distance. 

The white rabbit looked from side to side, so fast that he didn't actually notice me standing there. "Yes. And about that. Hatter, I think we ought to talk."

"Why? Did something happen?" Nivens was interrupted.

"No, well, yes. They've got Alice. She's in the dungeons with the White Queen." At this the Hatter stepped forward into the light. 

I'll be honest I was surprised with what I saw. I saw a man who looked like he hadn't slept a wink for a week, with rugged clothes and bright green eyes. I saw a smile that I knew could easily light up the whole room and a rather pale skin tone. He had rough looking fingers and threads fraying from his sleeves. But was struck me most was the bright and curly mop of ginger hair springing off of his head. And that's when it clicked. I didn't really think about it but as soon as that little light bulb lit up inside my head I turned, went back into the room I had been given for the night, and slammed the door to alert the people that there had been an audience listening in in their conversation. I heard an "oh dear" before I shut everything else out. Whether I was tired or not, I made myself go back to sleep.

~~ 3rd person ~~

"Oh dear" the white rabbit shook his head while glancing over at the recently slammed door. He should have known, he should have made sure she was still asleep before Hatter stepped out. Poor girl, she must be so upset and confused.

"Who was that?" Hatter asked quizzically.

"That, my friend, was your dearest Madaline. Yours and Alice's daughter. And she seems to be a bit upset at the fact that the father she's never known has just shown up." Hatter looked shocked. Madaline was here? Why had no one told him? He should talk to her. Not yet, but soon. In the morning maybe, but for now, where was he going to sleep?

~~ Maddie POV ~~

When I woke up this time there was light in the room, not from a window because we were underground but it was coming from somewhere. I sat up and stretched, feeling my muscles relax and my bones pop. I felt gross and grimy in the dress I'd worn the previous day but it was all I had to wear so I'd have to make do. 

Unable to block it from my mind anymore I recalled the event of last night. He, the Hatter, was my father. I needed no confirmation of this, I saw the unruly red hair, the very same hair that is upon my own head. The hair that I obviously got from my father because my missing mother's hair is blonde and naturally falls in waves not messy, curly, ringlets. It wasn't just shock that made me flee last night, honestly it wasn't, it was the realization that all those times my mother told me her story of Wonderland, every time she mentioned the Mad Hatter, she left out that he was my father. I probably wouldn't have believed her but I'd would have been nice to have been told something about him. I suppose she must of had reason though. Maybe her reason for not telling me has something to do with the reason she was taken.

I was interrupted from my thoughts by a knock at the door. "Madaline?" Came a hesitant voice. It was him; the Hatter. "Madaline? Can we talk? I understand that you must have some questions about your mother and the, erm, the situation. Madaline? Madaline, can I come in? I mean, technically it's my room so I can come in but if it's not okay with you I can come back later. I don't know when later is, but I'm sure we can arrange some time to talk. Or, or you can refuse altogether and we can avoid each other but that wouldn't be advisable seeing as your mother is missing and we will need to work together to get her back..." I tuned him out after that, he was rambling. I remember my mother telling me that he used ramble a lot and that the only to snap him out of it was to shout his name. I didn't want to but if I didn't he'd carry on talking till sundown. "... So if you don't then I understand but I think it best if you and I..."

"Hatter!" I shouted, "shut up!" I wasn't in the mood to be polite. "You can come in, just stop talking and give me a minute." I heard the door creek open as he entered. I didn't say anything, just pointed at the bed and indicated for him to sit. "So, you're my father? Why did you leave? Did you ever think of how I would feel without a father? What about my mum? You left her to raise me on her own! Do you know how that made her look? She told me stories of this place; she made it sound wonderful, so colourful and bright. Now it's dull and boring, there's no light here. What happened? And why was she taken? How do we get her back?"

I stopped my rambling when I noticed the large smile on Hatter's face. "What?"

He smiled more and replied "nothing, nothing. It's just, you're more like me than I thought." 

I frowned at him. "Well you’d know how alike we are if you were ever there." That got rid of his smile.

"Madaline, we shou-" I cut him off. "No. We're not talking about anything other than how to get my mum back. We get her back and then she and I are going back to our home to forget about all of this." 

"Okay." He said with a disappointed sigh. "Lets go to the others and start planning."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey can anyone tell me how to add italics and stuff in? I'm copy and pasting the story from my word documents but the bold and italics aren't copying over in the HTML tab and nothing copies over in the Rich Text tab. If anyone knows and cares to share I'd appreciate it. :)

We went back into the large room and saw everyone gathered around the table already planning. Bayard, Nivens and Mallymkun all looked up at Hatter with a hopeful smile, which fell when he shook his head. "Okay, planning. What are we doing to get my mother out?" I looked around and saw everyone avert his or her eyes. "We are doing something! We're not leaving her there!"

"Madaline, we're not going to leave her there but at the moment we can't do anything to get her back because the Red Queen is holding her captive. We can't do anything until we get rid of her." Hatter lay his hand on my shoulder, trying to console me, but I shook him off. 

"Well then we get rid of her! How hard can it be? There are eight of us against one Queen." 

"If it was that simple then we'd have already done it." Mallymkun said shaking her head. "She's got her old army back and the Knave too. She rules with an iron fist and anyone who stands against her is executed. She's already captured the Tweedles and locked them in separate cages in the middle of the courtyard. She's using them as examples. The Knave wanted to kill them."

I wasn't sure what to say to that. I wanted my mother back but I didn't want anyone else to get hurt. "Can't we get an army together?"

"There aren't enough of us to do that anymore and we don't motivate the people like we used to. They're too scared of the bloody big head." Hatter grunted, put off by my actions.

"Maybe the answer isn't in an army." Absolem riddled. 

"The ways of a few can often speak out against the ways of the many. Especially when there are some of the few stuck within the many." Chessure offered.

"What are you saying?" I was confused; I never did understand the riddles my mum gave me. I always took too long to work them out.

"They're saying to try and start a revolt. But it won't work, we tried already and as Mally said, people are too scared to go against the Red Queen now." Hatter sighed. "There's nothing we can do, they're that sure of themselves that they haven't even bothered with a wall or some kind of defense against anything from beyond the castle, only the bloody big head's magic. They know there isn't enough of us to fight back and now that they've got Alice too..."

"So you're giving up? You're just going to quit?! If they've not got a wall up then they're unprotected. Just because there aren't many of us it doesn't mean that we can't do damage. They underestimate us." I looked around at the small smiles everyone was giving me. "But you!" I turned back to the Hatter, "I can see now why I grew up without a father and I'm glad I did. I'd never want a coward for a father anyway." With that I stormed back to the room, locking the door behind me.

~

A couple of hours passed and eventually there was a knock on the door. "Hatter if that's you go away." I called through. 

There was a shuffling noise before I heard "It's Nivens, can I come in?" I huff but open the door. Nivens comes in carrying a tray which he places on the small table in the corner of the room. "I brought you some food. I'm sorry I didn't yesterday, we were running low on supplies and you were tired so I figured I'd let you sleep."

"Thank you Nivens. I appreciate it." A small blush appeared on his face as he fidgeted. "Is something the matter?"

"Err... I just wanted to say that your father, he isn't a coward. He's just tired as many of us are. The war, its been going on for the past five years. He wants to help your mother, he does. He just doesn't know how." Nivens finished with a small nod of the head and left.

I turned to the chair and sat dragging my hand down my face. So what if the Hatter was tired of the war? He didn't have to fight, he could move away to somewhere else. Somewhere the Red Queen won't find him. Hell, he could have come to live with my mum and me. If he had done that in the beginning then maybe we wouldn't have this problem. He would have been able to protect her from whatever took her. I lifted the lid off of the tray and found a cup of tea with bread, soup and cheese. Suddenly ravenous, I ate all of it barely tasting a thing. Once I finished the food I sat there with the tea and looked around at the room. It was very bare, only a bed, hat stand, armchair and desk in the room. The hats had been put on the stand and the material cleared away.

If this was Hatter's room, where did he keep all of his possessions? I looked at the desk again and saw a drawer that I didn't notice before. It didn't look like it had a lock so I pulled it open. It was filled with scraps of material, a few needles, reels of thread and envelopes that were partially buried under the material scraps. I pulled out the top envelope. It was a light blue colour with the name 'Tarrant' written across the top in the neat cursive script that I knew to be my mother's. It was a letter from my mother, I had to know what it said, and maybe it says something that could help us get her back.

'My dearest Tarrant,

I miss you so very much. I anxiously wait for the day we can be reunited. The people here aren't like those in Underland, they have no joy, only boring rules. Madaline is the one thing that gets me through the day. She looks so much like you already, it makes my heart yearn for you. I'm sad that she doesn't know you but one day she will. On the day when the bloody big head is gone, you and I and our daughter will be reunited.

She asks about you, or at least she used to. I think she stopped because I got upset when she did. I'm sorry, I couldn't help but be sad when she made me think of you. I miss you, I know she misses you too even though she only saw you the once. I've told her stories of my time in Underland. I've told her all about the talking flowers and the tea parties and she loves to hear them. If only she knew they were real.

Madaline is 15 now, how the years have flown by. She looks so much like you with her beautiful curly red hair. She can do the Futterwacken, not that she knows what it is. She looks so beautiful when she dances.

I must go now. I hope to see you soon.

I love you, my Mad Hatter,  
Alice' 

She wrote this letter two years ago. How did she manage to send it to him if she couldn't get through the portal? How could she still love him after he left her there with me? If they are so in love then why didn't they stay together? I was confused but I refused to go back out there to face everyone.

Looking down I saw a bit of light coming from beneath the bed, I crawled over to it to find that there was a window. A small window but it was large enough for me to squeeze through. Not wanting to pull the bed out and possibly draw attention to myself I wiggle under the bed to see where the window leads to. There was a bit of a drop, it wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for the fact that I was still wearing the dress. I came out from under the bed and grabbed the safety pins that I'd seen earlier. I didn't have any trousers to wear so I'd improvise and make some. I clipped the four pins into the middle of the front and back of the dress skirt to create an odd type of trousers.

Now for my escape. Wiggling back under the bed I pushed the window open with my feet before lowering myself down. Eventually I was facing the drop. Deciding to risk it I dropped down and hit the ground with a thud, unfortunately I didn't realize that my escape plan involved a hill and I went tumbling down. At the bottom I realized a few things; the first was that one of the pins had come loose and cut my leg. The second was that there was a pond at the bottom of the hill which I had fallen into. The third thing I noticed was that I was not alone. Directly across from me, on the other side of the pond, was the Hatter. He looked a bit shocked to be honest, like he didn't think I'd try to escape, or he at least didn't think my escape would lead me here. Neither did I to be frank but we make do with what we've got. I try to stand up and immediately fall back in the pond. This finally snaps Hatter out of his haze and he comes to help me up, getting himself soaked in the process. 

"What are you doing Madaline?" He shakes his head. "There are much easier ways to leave than through my window. For instance through the door."

"But you'll stop me if I try to leave." i want to struggle out of his hold but know I will end up falling over due to waterlogged dress.

"No, we wouldn't. We would try persuading you not to go, as it is very dangerous out there. But we wouldn't stop you. Admittedly there isn't really anywhere else you can go. So... it's best if you stay here." He pulled me towards dry land.

"I just want to go home and wake up from this horrible dream. I want go home and find my mother sitting in her chair reading something odd. I don't want to be here!" I whined. I realized that I sounded like a petulant child but I was tired and my leg had started to hurt.

"I'm sorry Madaline, but even if it was safe enough for you to stay in Overland, the bloody big head has control of the portal now to you wouldn't be able to get back. And your mother wouldn't be there either way. I'm sorry." We began walking back towards the hideout; I stumbled a bit due to the cut in my leg but the Hatter held me up. "You know, your mother once thought this was all a dream too. Twice actually. She came when she was a little girl at first, much younger than you."

"I know, she told me all about her adventures here but she said they were just stories, a way to get me to sleep at night. That's all that they were before all this." I interrupted.

"She told you? I suppose it makes sense that you saw them as stories, they probably were at first, but they were also her way of preparing you for this land. We knew it'd be difficult trying to bring you down here after the war, but we thought it'd be over a lot sooner and that you'd be more accepting." He sighed. "Admittedly, we did think you'd be down here under much different circumstances. But what's done is done."

We walked in silence for a bit but my leg kept tripping me. "Will you let me carry you Madaline? We'll be there much faster if I carry you." I think about declining but the pain in my leg is starting to get to me so I accepted his offer. He picked me up bridal style so there was no pressure on my leg. "So you know of your mother's adventures down here, you know of both times?" I nod. "Do you know why she left?"

"No, I didn't know it was real. How could I have known why she left this place?"

"Oh, okay. Well after she slayed the Jabberwocky, she left for a second time. It was all right though; she came back a few months later. We got married shortly after that and nine months later you came into our lives." The Hatter frowned before carrying on. "The Red Queen came back just before you were born. She had no power at first but was a constant threat. Her and the Knave kept finding ways to hurt your mother while she was pregnant, so I sent her topside where the bloody big head couldn't get to either of you. I came with you both at first and I was there when you were born. I built the house and carved the hole in the tree but then I had to leave."

"Why did you leave? You could have stayed with us, kept us safe from home." I had asked myself this and now I was getting my answer.

"How I wish I could have. Creatures of Underland cannot be topside for too long, as they will start to fade away. I had a potion I had to drink everyday to be able to stay in Overland; I didn't have enough to stay there permanently. And the White Queen needed my help. Things had started going wrong in Underland so I went back through the portal. Once through I was in Underland again the portal was shut. The White Queen did it. Said it would be the best way to make sure you were both safe, no one could get in or out. She then gave the power to control the portal to Nivens, which made it so that only he could go to and from both lands, and now the Red Queen has done something that blocks Nivens' use of the portal. She has total control now, there's nothing we can do to get the portal working again."

We were back inside and everyone immediately flocked around us to see what the problem was. I was ushered into a room and given a worn out but soft top and some frayed bottoms that only came to my calves. I quickly got changed minding my cut. I didn't understand why the White Queen would do something like that to the Hatter, keep him away from my mum and I but if she can give the portal power to Nivens maybe she can take it back. I went back into the main room and sat down so that the Hatter could look at my leg.

"That's not fair! She shouldn't have done something like that to you. We need to do something to get the portal power back now! What about the other Queen? The White Queen? She should be able to help. Where is she?" I looked around.  
No one wanted to answer by the looks of it but Nivens slowly stepped forward. "The White Queen is dead."


	5. Chapter 5

"The White Queen is dead."

"WHAT?!" I shouted. "How can she be dead? She's the White Queen! How? When?" I looked around franticly.

"About four years ago. We weren't doing to good but we still had enough spirit and warriors to hold up against the bloody big head," Mallymkun started. "The White Queen had a plan and we were going to help. We got to the red castle when they sprung out at us. They knew we were coming. We were all taken to where the bloody big head was with the Knave. The White Queen tried to talk to her sister, said that all she had to do was stop the war and all could be forgiven, that we could all live in peace. But she took no notice, the Red Queen just passed the Knave a dagger and he..." She stopped, unable to continue.

"She watched her sister get killed? She helped?" I couldn't believe it. "Who would do something like that?"

"The bloody big head. She killed the queen and then put her body in view of all the soldiers and civilians. She even had the nerve to say 'even the White Queen bleeds red'." Hatter sighed sadly. He finished patching up my leg and then looked me in the eye. "Then the bloody big head let us go knowing that no one would help us fight her and the Knave's army because they were too scared. It's been almost four years and only a few people have tried to help us. Everyone is still scared."

I froze, the White Queen was dead. Who was going to help rescue my mum now? Who was going to give everyone the courage they needed now? People won't fight for a dead queen. They won't even fight for their own livelihoods. How can I expect anyone in this land to help me? To help my mum? I pulled my legs to my chest and rested my head against my knees to try and calm my breathing. There was a buzzing noise surrounding me, it took me a minute to realize it was everyone else talking around me. I couldn't hear properly, everything was just a buzzing sound. I could feel my breath becoming short and everything was becoming dark. I blinked and then black...

~~ 3rd person ~~

Hatter looked at his daughter worriedly, she was so young and fragile and he knew she shouldn't be here but he also knew that her home wasn't safe anymore. Madaline had fainted on the chair from panicking, the Hatter hadn't known what to do but he imagined that Alice would've. He'd missed so much of his daughter's life and because of this he barely knew her. All he knew was that they shared their uncontrollable red hair and the love of and for a woman who wasn't there.

He had to make it up to her, for Alice's sake if not his own. He had to save Alice for Madaline. She needed her mother, she doesn't needed her father, Hatter thought bitterly, she hasn't needed him in 17 years. 

"What was she doing outside Hatter?" Mallymkun asked.  
"She was going to run away but underestimated the drop from my little window to the floor. I don't think she realized it was a hill. Madaline fell down and landed in the pond, which I was walking by at the time. I went over to her to help her and we spoke of Alice." Hatter responded.

"But how did she cut her leg?" Nivens questioned. "Falling would explain the bumps and bruises but not the cut on her leg."

Hatter smiled, "I think she used pins from my drawer to close the middle of her dress, one must have come loose in the fall and cut into her leg. Clever girl."

Nivens shook his head, Madaline was sure to be a difficult one, after all her mother and father are two of the most stubborn and strong willed people he knew. "She'll be fine Tarrant, it was probably just shock and fear that made her pass out."

"Of course it was Nivens. Did you not hear her? She was muttering about no one fighting for a dead queen and no one helping her save her mother. Of course she passed out from fear, the only parent she's ever known is missing and she's stuck here with the parent she's never known and others who she's only ever known in existed in the stories Alice told her." Tarrant all but shouted. "She doesn't want to be here but she knows she's got nowhere else to go and no one else that will protect her. She needs her mother, she needs Alice. We need Alice. The Red Queen took the only one that would have been able to convince people to stand against her. And now I'm here with the child I've missed for 17 years that hates me while my wife is trapped with the woman who killed her own sister."

Nivens paled, "I'm sorry Tarrant, I didn't realize. I thought it was just the loss of Alice and the portal that was the reason she was so put out." The white rabbit would have carried on but they all turned when they heard Madaline mumbling in her sleep.

"~go, where? ~ rabbit ~ always trust ~ white rabbit ~ red, read hair, red queen ~ mum ~" She mumbled. 

The Hatter was upset, his daughter apparently trusted Nivens more than him. It also seems that she associated the colour red with his hair and the Red Queen. That wasn't something he was exactly happy about but he could understand it a bit. Both were things that had turned her world somewhat askew. He shook the thought out of his head and stooped to pick Madaline up.

"I'm just going to take Madaline to the room so she can rest comfortably." Everyone in the room nodded in understanding. Walking slowly so not to disturb his daughter, Hatter made his way to his room. Upon entering he set Madaline down on the bed and covered her with a blanket. He looked around the room to make sure all was in order when he noticed a piece of paper on top of his drawer. Picking it up he realized it was one of the letters his dear Alice had written for him. He re-reads it before tucking it away in the drawer. Oh Alice, he thought, we need you.

~~ Madaline's POV ~~

When I woke up it was dark. There was no light on in the room, which gave me a chance to remember what happened. It came back quickly; me panicking about the White Queen's death, having no one to help save my mum, so much fear. I remember dreaming too. I dreamt of my mother; she was saying she had to go, that she was late. She looked at me and said, "Always trust the White Rabbit Maddie", and then it was just red. A sea of red, red curls, a red crown, my mum locked up in a red cage, and then it was just black again.

I got out of the bed feeling hungry. Opening the door slowly I saw Hatter asleep on the bench in the hallway, at first I was confused. Why didn't he just go back to his room? But then I remembered, I had his room. Tiptoeing so not to wake him or anyone else I went over to him and shook him gently. He was much too big for me to try to lift him. He muttered a little and blinked a couple of times before looking at me with half-closed eyes.

"Come Hatter, you need to rest somewhere else. You need to go to bed." I said quietly.

He shook his head in sleepy protest but started to rise anyway. "Nooo, Mad-Madaline needs the bed. She's sleepier." I resisted the urge to laugh, as it would startle him. He was clearly too tired to realize who he was talking to. I slowly started to pull him forward towards the room.

"It's fine Hatter, Madaline will be fine. You need to sleep." There was more muttering. "Madaline wants you to rest Hatter, come on."

"Madaline doesn't like me, why would she want to me rest? I miss Alice; she would know how to fix this. She loves me. Don't know why, but she does." We were in the room and I guided him to the bed just before he collapsed. 

"Madaline does like you Hatter. She just, she just doesn't understand you or anything here yet. Give her time. And there are plenty of reasons Alice loves you. You gave her a daughter whom she loves and you let her be herself. She's free when she's with you. I understand that at the very least." I hung the hat he wore almost all the time and removed his shoes before covering him with the blanket.

"Mmm... Family..." Is the last thing I hear before I leave the room. I walk down the hallway towards the room that everyone normally gathered in, there I found the March Hare. I believe his name is Thackery Earwicket. I haven't really seen him or spoken to him since I got here.

"Excuse me?" He jumped around and almost threw his teacup at me. "I'm sorry it's just that I'm hungry. Could you show me where the kitchen is or something please?"

He nodded and led to the kitchen. I looked in the cupboards but there wasn't a lot there, just the bare minimum. Not wanting to waste resources I got myself some cheese and crackers. I turned to the Hare and asked "would you like me to get something for you? I'm only having some cheese and crackers." He shook his head instead of answering. We sat in silence while I ate, only the crunch of the crackers making noise. After finishing my food I turned to make myself a drink of tea. "Does the Hatter often sleep on the bench out in the hallway or is it just because I've got his bed?" There was no response. "Mr. Earwicket? That is your name isn't it? Thackery Earwicket?" He nodded. 

"Thackery can't talk Miss Madaline." A voice from behind me said. I gave a small shout and turned to find Chessure floating behind me with a large smile on his face. I glared at him, which prompted him to smile wider before continuing his explanation. "He too was captured by the Red Queen's men many years ago. They cut out his tongue to appease the bloody big head. He can no longer speak. But all's well, it's the tea he lives for." He grinned and faded away.

"Oh, well that explains it. I'm sorry Mr. Earwicket. I didn't know." Thackery smiled at me and did a small bow to show his forgiveness. "May I make you another tea Mr. Earwicket?" He nodded and started making gestures with his hands while I made the tea. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand." I apologized, I felt really bad. This poor Hare had his tongue removed and couldn't talk and all I had done was agitate him. "Perhaps you could write it down?" I suggested. He shook his head. "Do you know to write?" Same response. The tea was done so I pored it into teacups and passed him one. "It's sign language isn't it?" A nod. "I met someone who knew it once, it was a deaf old man. I wanted to learn but he passed away before I could ask if he'd teach me. Is there anyone here who could teach me? I assume there would be, because who would you sign with otherwise?" He nodded and made a grinning gesture before imitating taking off and putting on a hat and then crouched down and tugged his ears. "Oh, it's like charades! So Chess, the Hatter and you?" Thackery held up 3 fingers and pointed at head in turn, with the first 2 he nodded but at the 3rd he shook his head. So not him, who else had long ears? "Oh! Sorry, did you mean the White Rabbit? Nivens?" He nodded. "Very well. I'll ask one of them to teach me. I'm sorry but I'm going to go find a comfy chair to sleep in for a bit until everyone else wakes up. You should probably get some sleep too."

****


	6. Chapter 6

I woke up a few hours later to a cup of tea being wafted under my nose. Opening my eyes I saw Thackery holding the cup out to me with a smile on his face. 

"Thank you Mr. Earwicket." I got a nod in return. My voice disturbed Hatter and Chess who had been having a rather animated conversation up until then. Chess floated off while Hatter walked over to me.

"Madaline, why did you take me to the room last night? I gave it to you to use. I'm perfectly fine sleeping on the bench or in a chair." Hatter asked sitting on the wooden chair near me.

"It looked rather uncomfortable," I started. "I was hungry anyway so I figured it wouldn't hurt for to go sleep in your own bed for a while. Besides, you're older than me. You need to sleep somewhere that's not going to hurt your back, whereas I still have a few years before I have to worry about that." Hatter sighed at being called old but accepted my answer. "Are we going to try to get mum back today?" I asked.

Hatter shook his head, "no, we have to wait for everyone else to get here before we can begin planning anything. Is there anything else you want to do for a bit? We can go for a walk but we can't go far."

"No. I don't want to go for a walk, I'm fine here for now. I'll just wait until the meeting." The Hatter exhaled as though he'd hoped I'd walk with him. I felt bad. I do want to try to get to know him better, he is my father after all. I looked around and saw Thackery going back into the kitchen. "Actually," I said as the promise I made the previous night came back to me, "could you teach me sign language? I'd like to be able to talk to Mr. Earwicket."

Hatter smiled at that before turning to the Hare as he came out of the kitchen holding yet another cup of tea. They signed to each other for a bit before Hatter turned back to me, "he said that you don't have to learn if you don't want to and that he prefers to be called Thackery. That's what he was trying to tell you last night apparently."

Oh, well that makes sense I guess. "Will you teach me? I'd like to do something while I'm here instead of just sitting around. And Mr. Ea- sorry, Thackery is very nice. I'd like to be able to understand what he says."

"Of course I'll teach you, it will take a while but afterwards Thackery here can test your understanding." With that the Hatter stood up and held his hand out to me. "There is another room that would be better suited to teach you in." He explained as he helped me up. "It's our library, it's small but it's where we keep all the information we've managed to save from the Red Queen from over the years. The books that taught Thackery and the rest of us sign language are in here." We wandered past countless shelves with books strewn about, on shelves and other various surfaces.

He led me through the room to a table near the back. I sat down as he went and gathered the books that I'd be studying from. He came back with 3 average sized books and placed them in front of me. "Okay, lets get started." He said cheerfully.

****

We barely noticed the time passing but when Chessure materialized next to me claiming the meeting was starting I realized that we had been in the library for over 3 hours. Hatter looked just as startled as I felt. "Oh, already? It's only been a few min- 3 hours?! Wow, okay. Okay. We should probably give it a rest Madaline, lets go to the meeting. We can carry on learning tomorrow. We should probably get some food too, I'm sorry. I just realized I haven't been making sure you eat. Oh I'm a terrible father, Alice was probably much better off without me. Okay, never mind. Come on. Food and then to the meeting. Not necessarily in that order, of course we probably should do it in that order, I don't know. What do you want to do first Madaline?"

"Hatter!" I yelled. It was best to startle him out of the rant before it got too far. "Will you calm down? It's fine; I didn't notice the time passing either. We'll get some food first and we can eat it during the meeting." He quieted and looked down ashamed of himself. "My mother will forgive you, we've done it ourselves. We would read stories or paint for hours and not notice until one of our stomachs growled at us. Come on then, we don't want to be too late." I held out my hand, which earned me a brilliant smile. I puled him up and then took his arm as we walked towards the meeting, Hatter smiling the whole way.

Once there he told me to go sit down while he got us some food. I looked around the room and saw Absolem, Nivens, Chess, Bayard and Mallymkun talking quietly in the corner. Thackery was looking rather bored with what they were saying so I waved at him and he came over to sit by me. I signed 'hello, how are you?' to him and received a massive grin and applause. Thackery signed back. "'Hi, I'm good?'" I said out loud to make sure I'd understood correctly. Unfortunately I didn't. Thackery shook his head and signed it again. "'Hi, I'm fine?'," I asked. This time I got a nod. "Oh, okay. What's good then?" He did a different sign that I remembered seeing in the book. I was practicing the new sign when Hatter came in with 2 plates. He passed me one with a sandwich and some fruit on.

"Hello Thackery, would you be a dear and fetch the drinks I made for us out of the kitchen please? I couldn't carry all of them." Thackery signed something I didn't catch in response to Hatter. "Yes, of course I made you one." This made Thackery smile as he went to get the drinks. As he came back in the meeting started. 

"Okay everyone, we've got important things to discuss today." Nivens began. "The most important thing being how are we going to get Alice and the Tweedle's back? We already know our way around the castle and we know where each of them are being held. Our only real problem is how we're going to get past the magic shield. If we don't find a way past it, we can't get in. Any ideas?"  
Everyone looked at one another. It seemed like nobody had any ideas.

"Okay. We will think this over but for now lets go onto the next topic. Supplies. We're not quite out yet but because we haven't had this many people in a while and we are expecting more as soon as we break them out; we're going to need more supplies soon. Preferably a couple of days before we go to save the others."

I couldn't believe they had moved on so quickly to be honest. So no one had any ideas on how to get past the barrier at the moment, that doesn't mean they should just give up and move on! I put my finished plate down before standing up. "Forget about the supplies. We can worry about that after we've figured out how to get past the magic barrier and save my mum and your friends. Moving onto a new topic is only going to take people's concentration away from the task at hand." They all looked at me with blank expressions.

"Well, what do you suggest then?" disputed Mallymkun. "You think we haven't sat here before and questioned and puzzled over how to get our friends back and get rid of the Red Queen? We have. Multiple times, for hours on end. We've been doing this since before your mother was taken."

Bayard walked over to me as Mallymkun sat down. "We really have Miss Madaline, we've thought of everything. We don't have any more ideas."

"I'm sorry, I understand. I just want her back." I said quietly. "Do you not know anyone else with magic? Surely there must be someone else who does magic." I looked towards the Hatter who just shook his head. "So it was only the White Queen who practiced good magic?" This got nods from everyone. "Well do you have any of her books? She must have had magic books with spells and such in."

"She did," was Absolem's reply. "However, they are far away. It would be a great journey to get them and any supplies we would need to be able to cast a spell that would be strong enough to break the barrier."

"Well, where are they?" I asked. Absolem's riddles were frustrating even if the answer was something simple.

It was Hatter who answered. "They're in the White Queen's castle. The Red Queen refuses to go there so everything should still be there. There's all kind of things there, something should help us get through the barrier."

"That's great, they best news I've heard in a while. Lets go! We can get the supplies and free everyone!" I was giddy; there was a chance to free my mum and her friends. 

"We can't go yet Madaline." Hatter's voice broke me out of my stupor. I looked at him puzzled. "It's a dangerous path from here to there and it would be too risky to bring anything back from the castle. We wouldn't know what ingredients would help with destroying the barrier and which could end up hurting us without finding the correct spell beforehand. That alone could take days as there are bound to be many magic books there, none of which are guaranteed to have something that could help us."

"So what do we do? Can't we all go there so that there are enough of us to search? We could bunker down there for a while, there's sure to be enough rooms for us all if it takes more than a day. All we have to do is get enough supplies to last us on the way there and while we're there and go. It's not that hard."

"It's not that simple, the castle is large and we don't know where the books are kept so we could be searching for the books for days before we even find the books." Hatter sighed. "And it's too dangerous for us all to go, especially you. If the Red Queen were to find you she'd use you against your mother and myself. And even though the Red Queen might not go near the White Queen's castle, she may still have guards patrolling the castle."

"It's a risk we'll have to take. We need to look at those books and you're deluded if you think I'm staying here. It was my idea." I glare at him before turning away and looking at my nails. "Besides," I continue offhandedly, "if it's just me you're worried about then that means you're planning to take everyone else. And if everyone else goes then who will be here to make sure I don't get myself into trouble? Because I promise you, if you leave me here, I'm going to do everything I can to make you wish you'd taken me with you when you had the chance." I look back at him in time to watch his resolve crumble. I know he's trying to protect me and I feel bad for blackmailing him but I need to go. I need to find my mum and I'm not gonna risk loosing the father I'm only just getting to know.

"Okay." Hatter sighed and dragged his hand down his face in exasperation. "Okay. You can come with us but you will stay with us at all times or so help me I will tie you to a tree where no one will find you and you will stay there until we get your mother back. Then I'll make sure she grounds you and you can spend hours helping me make hats. Okay?’ I didn’t say anything. “Madaline, I would like a response please." By the end of his rant he was standing pointing a calloused finger at me menacingly.

"Yes, of course. As long as I can come with you, I'll do whatever you say. When are we going?" I asked curiously.

"Tomorrow probably, today we have to get everything ready and plan out the best route. You don't have to be here for any of that though so you can go back to practicing. Thackery go with her will you? You can help her better than I can." Thackery saluted him before marching off pulling me along with him.

~~ 3rd person ~~

"I'll go get enough supplies for us all." Nivens said before scurrying off. 

Hatter was so angry with himself; Alice wouldn't want this, was all he could think, she'd want Madaline somewhere safe. But Hatter couldn't argue with Madaline's blackmailing, he could see his own rambunctious spirit within her. He knew that if he left her there would be hell to pay. So he bartered. He made a deal with his devil of a daughter in the hopes that he could at least try to keep her safe from anything that might try to harm her. 

"For a father who's only just met his child, you're doing a exceptional job." Absolem commented from the other side of the room. "If only you'd stop bending to her every will. Then you'd become the father she needs."

This made the Hatter mad. "I'm doing the best I can. I haven't been there for most of her life and now Alice is missing, this is the most I get to see my daughter because if she doesn't warm up to me then it's likely she'll want to got back up there to the life she knew once we've saved Alice." He took a few calming breaths. "I'm not bending to her every will, I'm compromising. She wants to come with us, I want to keep her safe. I can do that best when she's with me. Now where are the maps? I need to start plotting a route that will get us all there safely."

Mallymkun cleared her throat from the doorway. "I've got the map Hatter."

"Thank you Mally. Bayard would you go help Nivens please? Mally, you, Chess and I shall choose the best path to the castle."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so I'm posting this chapter but I'm not quite sure I'm finished with it yet so I might add some more to it at some point.

~~ The next day ~~

I woke up to murmurs outside my room. I open the door to see Hatter and Nivens arguing quietly. They looked surprised when I opened the door and then bashful when they realized they'd woken me.

"Morning," I yawned. "What's going on? Is it time to go?" Hatter and Nivens rushed out their explanations simultaneously hoping to get me to understand. "Guys! Calm down, I can't listen to both of you at the same time. Nivens?"

The White Rabbit gave me a small smile before starting. "Thank you Miss Maddie, I was trying to tell you that your father was planning on leaving you here with Thackery and taking everyone else to the White Queen's castle. I'm sorry if this upsets you but I thought it best if I come wake you before we left without you. Hatter here was trying to stop me." Nivens looked annoyed at himself and at the Hatter. He probably didn't like having to tattle on his friend. "I know you don't want to be left behind, and while Hatter has good intentions it is still your choice." With that he nodded at us both before bounding away.

I turn to look at my father. It was weird to think of him as my father but at least if I started now I'd get into the habit. He at least had the decency to look ashamed. "Why?" I didn't say anything else. When I was upset with my mother I would refuse to talk to her, which she hated. Hopefully it would have the same effect on my other parent.

"I, err, I..." For once it seemed the Hatter was at a loss for words. "I just wanted you to be safe." He slumped. "I've lost a great deal of my family and I've only just got to meet you so I can't risk loosing you as well. I haven't seen your mother in 17 years, you two are the only real family I have left."

He seemed so sad; I couldn't stay mad at him. "I understand Hatter, I really do. It was just mum and I up there, I had no father. I've been waiting 17 years to meet you too. So I understand you wanting to keep me somewhere safe but you must understand that I want you somewhere safe too. I want you where I can see you because I can't risk losing my other parent so soon." I smiled at the Hatter. "Come on, we need to make sure we've got everything before we leave. I'd like to get there and find some more clothes. I believe these are starting to smell."

We walk to the main room where everyone else is waiting, Thackery quickly passes me a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits and signs something for Hatter to translate. "He said that we're going soon and we've packed up most of the food so that's all there is for breakfast. Sorry." I gestures to my tea and biscuits. 

"Oh, that's fine. I don't eat much. This is fine till we get there."

Nivens comes hopping over to talk to Hatter so I walk off towards the rest of the group. I ask if everything is okay and get nods and grunts in reply. "We're just double checking that we've got everything before going. It would be unfortunate if we forgot anything." Bayard responds to me. "The castle is a day and a half away from here which means we'll have to make camp at some point. Mallymkun is making sure that there is somewhere suitable for us to camp. Nivens has already decided who's going to on watch first."

Hatter and Nivens walk over as Thackery starts passing large satchels around. "These have got our supplies in." Mallymkun says. "There should be enough between all of them to last us the trip there and for 4 days at the castle. This means we will have to find more if we are there longer than 4 days. There is also a sleeping bag in each satchel, you will carry your own satchel and please don't loose it."

With everything finally ready, we set off. We pass forests that have thinned with age and ponds that were once lakes. Everything seems to have decayed with the Red Queen's return. We pass large flowers that were once sentient and bushes that once held the most delicious fruit. I could help but think of my mother's stories, I tried to place everything from my imagination into the world they belonged to. I could practically see the flowers talking and Thackery yelling about tea. I could see my mother sitting at a long table at 7 years old talking to the man who was frozen in time until she got there. I continued with my daydreams until Hatter spoke up from beside me. 

"Are you okay Madaline? You've been rather quiet."

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. I was just imagining what this place was like before. How colourful is must have been. How odd it is that flowers talked but only to insult my mother." I grinned at him.

"Yes, it was quite funny. I'd never heard them insult anyone else. Alice said it was because they fancied me but I don't think it was that."

"What did you think it was?" I was curious; I had never heard this in my mother's stories.

"I think they were jealous." He paused and had Thackery bump into him. He helped him up before carrying on walking. "Sorry Thackery. As I was saying, I think the flowers were jealous. They considered themselves one of the most beautiful things in Underland but when Alice was around they paled in comparison."

Listening to him talk about my mother I could tell how he felt about her. "You really love her don't you?" I received a nod in response. "After all these years? Why didn't you just move on?"

"I didn't move on because I didn't want to. I waited the 10 years between your mother's visits. I could wait however long I needed to for her to come back."

****

Hours later we come across a small valley with a creek nearby. "We'll stop here for tonight" Hatter says looking up at the dimming sky. "We should get a fire set up before it gets too dark and try to build a shelter, it looks like it might rain."

"Bayard, with you and Thackery come with me to find some dry wood?" Nivens asked. "Chessure, Hatter, Madaline, would you start working on the shelter? Absolem and Mallymkun can keep guard." Everyone joined their groups before going off to start their tasks. I had to help build a shelter? I had never done that before. 

"Alright. Chess, do you want to go find some tall leaves and long grass? Madaline and I are going to look for branches that are tall enough for all of us."

Chessure grinned, "of course, I know just where to find some. About 20 should do it don't you think? Maybe 30, depends how heavy the rain is." He vanished with a small humming sound. 

Hatter and I find a tree that is mostly falling apart. Together we easily pull off a few of the longer branches and start carrying them back to the valley. "We need some more don't we? For the shelter I mean. We need more branches to make sure that it's stable and some for the top to hold the leaves that Chess is getting up. Actually, don't listen to me, I've never built a shelter before, I don't know what I'm doing. What kind of shelter are we trying to make?"

"It's okay, we're not going to have a flat roof like you're thinking. There's going to be a really long branch either propped against the valley floor and a tree or if we can find a branch with a v shape at one end we'll wedge that one into the ground and put the longest branch in the v and on a tree branch. Then we have to get a load more branches to lean against the top branch and we'll tie them all together using the long grass that Chess brings back. Are you following what I'm saying?" He looked back at me as I shifted the branches on my shoulder.

"Yeah, I think I know what you're on about. But what are the leaves for?"

We put the branches down and walk back to get some more. "The leaves are to stop the rain getting in. With large, thick leaves we can block up all the gaps so that no rain gets through. We lay them against the branches and if we've got enough long grass we'll tie them down so that they don't blow away." Half an hour or so passes with us just collecting large, sturdy branches. Eventually we have enough to build the shelter and Chessure is back with all the large leaves and long grass he can carry. Together we all start building the shelter according to Hatter's instructions and by the time the first rain falls, the shelter is finished and big enough for all of us. 

Thackery, Nivens and Bayard had been back for a while and had concentrated on making a fire to keep us all warm. We had built the shelter's entrance wide enough to cover the fire so that it was protected from the rain. Mallymkun comes round with some food before we all get into our sleeping bags and prepare for the long night a head.

"Hatter?" I whisper. It's been a few hours, everyone else has gone to sleep but I can't seem to switch off my mind. "Are you awake?"  
"Yes Madaline, what's wrong?" He rolls over to look at me.  
"I, er, I" I'm sorry, is all I think, I forgive you for not being there, is all I want to say. "I can't sleep." I mumble. I watch Hatter sit up in his sleeping bag and look over at everyone else to see if they were still awake.   
"It's okay Madaline, it happens to the best of us. What's bothering you? Is there anything I can do to help?"  
I think about all the things I want to say to him, things that are better left for a safer time, and shake my head instead. "I don't know what's wrong. Maybe it's just nerves, this is the best thing we've come up with against the Red Queen's defenses, I don't want it to go wrong. So much depends on this idea, I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of my stupid idea."  
"Madaline," he shuffles closer and puts an arm around my shoulders. "Your idea is not stupid. It's a brilliant, wonderful idea that none of us had thought of after all these years. Just because it's your idea, doesn't mean it's wrong or a bad idea. Like you said, this is the closest we've gotten to getting past or destroying the Red Queen's defenses." He shook my shoulder to make me look at him. "I understand that you're worried about people getting hurt but everyone here is willing to take the risk. It's not just about freeing your mother, it's also about freeing the entire kingdom, Alice is just who you and I want freed the most." Hatter looks at his watch before sighing, "it's time you get some rest Madaline, we have a busy day ahead of us and it’s my turn to take watch."  
"Okay," I mumble, suddenly tired. "you can call me Maddie if you'd like. G-night." I drift into a dreamless slumber.  
~~ 3rd person ~~  
Hatter tucked in his fatigued daughter before walking off to release Bayard. He was unsure of himself and unfortunately, of his daughter's plan. He said the truth when he told her it would work but he was wary that they may lose to many people on the way. He wasn't sure if they could afford to lose anyone else but he knew that rescuing Alice would be the best thing to be able to overthrow the Red Queen.


End file.
